Rinne signed his deal at age 29. He was already a Vezina Trophy finalist. The contract was announced midseason, five days after Rinne set the franchise record for career shutouts.

Rask, meanwhile, has yet to shoulder an 82-game season as the Bruins’ No. 1 goaltender. In the lockout-shortened 48-game schedule this past season, Rask went 19-10-5 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .929 save percentage.

He was even better in the playoffs, leading the league in GAA (1.84) and save percentage (.940).

During that stretch, reporters often asked Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli if it would be more difficult to sign Rask since he was playing so well.

“I said no,” Chiarelli said. “It would be easier.”

Rask’s playoff performance solidified what the team believed for years. They liked his perseverance and the way he carried himself off the ice.

“I really like what Tuukka has become as a person and a goaltender,” Chiarelli said. “As a result, we thought we were ready to commit to him.”

Rask, who would have been an unrestricted free agent after next season, wanted to commit, too. He said he “never considered” playing for another team.

Chiarelli just needed to maneuver cap space. Nathan Horton and Andrew Ference left in free agency. Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley were traded to Dallas.

Negotiations continued even as Rask left for vacation last week. He returns to Boston in about a month, this time with a new deal.

According to capgeek.com, Rask has a full no-movement clause for the first four years. In 2018, Rask will submit a list of eight teams to which he can be traded. In 2019, that list will grow to 15 teams. The deal ends after the 2020-21 season, at which time Rask will be 34.

“I’m really happy he’s still with us,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “[Chiarelli and Rask] did the work. I’m the coach that gets the gift.”

It’s an expensive gift. Chiarelli said the Bruins are “very, very” close to agreeing on a long-term extension for alternate captain Patrice Bergeron.

After that, the Bruins will “stand pat” for the rest of the summer, Chiarelli said.

The Bruins are currently $1,461,310 over the cap, according to capgeek. That’s all figured out, according to Chiarelli.

“We’re fine, we’ve got space,” Chiarelli said, adding the team has $4 million from Mark Savard’s long-term injury to help it out.

Chiarelli was asked if the Bruins lost to Toronto in the first round of the playoffs, would Rask have received the same payday?

The GM laughed, saying he doesn’t like answering hypotheticals.

“Obviously, a lot of things would have been different,” Chiarelli said.

And the Bruins don’t have to wonder. It’s clear Rask is their goaltender of the future.

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